feast on your life
This tattoo belongs to Nathelle June A. Lumabad.
A friend shared this poem with me during a difficult time in my life and thankfully she did as it comforted me a lot, especially the last line. This made me go out and experience everything that the world and life has to offer.
I used the font Jellyka, Saint-Andrew's Cursive and had it done two years ago at 55 Tinta here in the Philippines.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
- Excerpt from Love After Love by Derek Walcott
The Little Prince
Several tattoos of the Prince himself.
This one belongs to Sonya Green.
This is Jennifer's.
This is Bethany's.
I got it on my 18th birthday as a present to myself, as well as a constant reminder to never let go of "child-like wonder".
This one belongs to Rachel S.
This one belongs to Vanessa.
Finally, this one belongs to Iran.
Source: The Little Prince
Tengwar
This tattoo belongs to Leni from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This is my dad's name written in Tengwar, the elvish alphabet. I got it done last year, as it was the 5th anniversary of his passing away. I don't know whether my dad actually read The Lord of the Rings
or not, but to me it represents my passion for literature, as it was one of the first "grown up" books I've ever read. And if there's something I'll always thank my dad for, it's that he made me love books since I was a small kid. I miss him a lot, but everytime I look at the bookshelves at home I realise that they're so full of memories there's no way to separate us, he'll always be by my side.
So it goes #27, 28, 29
This belongs to mslbh.
For me it represents life and death, no matter what happens life goes on, with or without me in it.
It is in the handwriting of someone that I love. The 3/4 represents another artist. I sort of wish that I did not put it near my so it goes tattoo, but it can also be that with through love that our lives continue.
This is Kari's.
I got this tattoo for several reasons. Obviously, Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors. He's also one of the many authors who I discovered through my dad. My parents both love to read, and I've always felt very fortunate that they both passed down their love of literature to me. They tend to have differing tastes in reading material, though, and I always straddled the line between them. As a result, my own bookshelf holds a wide variety of authors and genres, and I love that I can share books with both of them, even if I'm not always sharing the same books with my mom as I am with my dad. So this tattoo is not just a tribute to Vonnegut, it's also a tribute to my dad, in thanks for the part he played in making me the lit geek I am today. (I guess now I have to figure out something to represent the other side!) Since I'm a teacher, I'm trying to be somewhat cautious about what highly visible tattoos I get; since I teach English so I figured a literary tattoo was a reasonable choice. And I just like the quote. I tend to be fairly laid back and I try not to let things get to me. This tattoo reminds me to keep everything in perspective, to accept the things I can't do anything about, and to keep moving forward rather than getting stuck fretting over those things.
This is Caitlin's.
Its a constant reminder to me that, hey, shitty things happen. And it really sucks when they do, but its also okay, because life is okay and life goes on.
This was posted as a part of “So it Goes” Saturdays. The phrase “so it goes” appears in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five 106 times. Can you help me collect 106 “so it goes” tattoos? 29 down, 77 to go.
Drink the Wild Air
This is Twila's tattoo:
I dropped 'salubrity' for the sake of brevity and simplicity, but the word means the quality of being favorable to good health and well-being. These words... 'drink the wild air', had a profound effect on me as I was working my way through a deep depression, fighting the darkest of days where negative thoughts consumed me and even breathing seemed to be a difficult struggle. So I had these words tattooed on my inner right forearm. I am right handed so this beautiful reminder to keep breathing in and drinking life {come what may} is constantly before me, and then against my heart when my arm is crossed over my chest.
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea,
Drink the wild air's salubrity:
When the star Canope shines in May,
Shepherds are thankful and nations gay.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Merlin's Song
(The font is called 'Jellyka Delcious Cake'.)
Nevermore
This is Krisa's tattoo.
I have been a huge fan of Poe for many years and have always wanted to be able to show my love for Poe in a simple and elegant way.
I am often asked about what the tattoo says, with many people then asking "Nevermore, is that a band or something?" to which i get to joyously reply, "no it is a quote from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. I like both tattoos and Victorian literature, is that so strange?"
This is Amber's.
My father passed away in 2006 and each year since I have gotten a tattoo on what was his birthday. I have always loved Poe and thought it would make a good memorial since he is missing a lost loved one.
This belongs to K.
This tattoo holds quite a bit of meaning for me, seeing as how "The Raven" was what fueled my passion for writing... which was [and still is] one of the only things that is capable of helping me keep my head in times of major duress. So, naturally, it only seemed fitting that this would be my first tattoo.
This belongs to Maria.
This is Jennifer's.
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
- Excerpt from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Peach
This is Kristina's tattoo:
Here is my peach. I've wanted it since I first read "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in high school. There are so many lines in that poem that have spoken to my life, but this is what I chose. I will always eat the peach.
It was done by Josh at FATink Tattoo in Tampa, Florida.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
- T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
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